Sometimes, the fight isn't just on the physical battlefield but also the psychological one. While one can train their body to its peak, sometimes that means nothing to one with power over people's minds. With the power of mind control, friends can be tricked or brainwashed to become enemies in a matter of seconds. A terrifying thought, to be sure.
With all the wild anime powers out there, there are a ton that can control the mind. While not every character who has this ability is malicious, there are quite a few who abuse the power they have over others. Regardless, these characters take the phrase "getting inside your head" to a whole new level.
10 Hitoshi Shinso Has The Quirk "Brainwashing" (My Hero Academia)
Because the mere concept of someone controlling another's mind and actions is so scary, many tend to judge those with mind control powers as being villainous. This is something U.A. student, Hitoshi Shinso wants to overcome. His Quirk, "Brainwashing", gives him the power to control anyone who verbally responds to him, forcing them to do whatever he tells them, and it's very hard to break free from.
Like most Quirks in My Hero Academia, Shinso's does have its limits, but in the right circumstances, it makes him a force to be reckoned with. Shinso very nearly won against Deku in the Sports Festival Arc with Brainwashing, but Deku managed to break free.
9 Malamar Controlled The Minds Of Humans And Pokémon Alike (Pokémon)
While there are more than a few Pokémon out there who've been known to control minds, Malamar (the evolved form of Inkay) is a whole nightmare unto itself. With its luminescent body, Malamar can hypnotize anyone that looks at it into a trance and force them to do whatever it wants.
In the anime, a single Malamar was able to take control of its supposed trainer and mesmerize Ash's friends, most of Team Rocket, and even a large group of Pokémon including Pikachu, turning them into mindless zombies. This is one of the few cases where a Pokémon has become the trainer.
8 Kōtarō Ijūin Almost Took Over Yokai Academy (Rosario+Vampire)
Kōtarō Ijūin was an anime-only, one-off antagonist in Rosario+Vampire who surprisingly made it pretty far for his only appearance. His ability made him able to make anyone fall in love with him and obey his every whim after saying "Je t'aime."
Kōtarō almost took over all of Yokai Academy, quickly putting Tsukune's harem under his control first - recognizing them as the biggest threat to him - and then threw a big concert for himself to celebrate before getting his face kicked in by Inner Moka. The funny part is that Kōtarō's true identity turns out to be Kō, the little bat narrator for the bulk of the series.
7 Sosuke Aizen And His Mind-Controlling Zanpakutō (Bleach)
Sosuke Aizen was a threat for a number of reasons, but his ability to play with people's minds might be one of his more intimidating aspects. With his Zanpakutō, Aizen could take over anyone's senses, making them see, hear, and even feel things that weren't really there. It's potent stuff too, with the effects capable of lasting for centuries and even those aware of being controlled by it are unable to stop themselves.
Using this, Aizen was able to fake his death, tricking everyone in Bleach's Soul Society and even convincing his lieutenant that Hitsugaya was responsible. What's even scarier is that Aizen was capable of all this without ever revealing his Bankai.
6 Ragyō Kiryūin And Her Ability Of "Mind Stitching" (Kill La Kill)
On top of ridiculous strength, regeneration abilities, and power over Life Fibers, Ragyō Kiryūin of Kill la Kill also had the power to control minds through what she called "Mind Stitching." Wrapping Life Fibers around the brains of her victims, Ragyō could turn anyone into her mindless servants.
Ragyō's Mind Stitching was so powerful that she could rewrite the memories and personalities of her victims, like how she brainwashed Ryuko into her loyal soldier and used Junketsu to attack her allies. One of the many reasons Ragyō will never be considered "mother of the year."
5 Q Is A Twisted Child With A Dangerous Mind Control Ability (Bungo Stray Dogs)
Kyūsaku Yumeno, aka "Q", might be the Port Mafia's most dangerous member, and that's really saying something when you consider that it has the likes of Akutagawa and Chuuya. On the outside, Q seems like any other child, but they're not an innocent soul in the slightest and take great joy from the chaos and mayhem their ability causes.
Q's ability, "Dogra Magra", can control anyone that harms them, and by mutilating the doll they carry, Q makes their victims see horrifying illusions, forcing them to attack friends and foes alike. Q's ability is so dangerous, the Port Mafia actually thought it would be better to keep them locked up.
4 Shokuhou Misaki And Her Esper Power, "Mental Out" (A Certain Scientific Railgun)
There are many espers in Academy City, each unique and many of which are highly dangerous, and Shokuhou Misaki is among the latter. Misaki is known as the "Queen Bee" in A Certain Scientific Railgun, and that title isn't an exaggeration thanks to her ability, "Mental Out", which can control the human mind.
With Mental Out, Misaki isn't just able to control people but also capable of reading their minds, erasing their memories, rewriting their memories, amplifying pain, and even negating other abilities. As terrifying as all that is, Misaki's ability fortunately has a weakness: she's unable to control individuals with electric-based powers like Misaka Mikoto.
3 Marik Ishtar And His Use Of The Millennium Rod (Yu-Gi-Oh!)
Yu-Gi-Oh!'s Millennium Items are powerful artifacts with otherworldly abilities such as reading minds and seeing the future. Whoever controls the Millennium Rod is able to control people's minds. The most notable wielder of the rod was Marik Ishtar, a former tomb keeper who sought out the Egyptian God Cards.
With the Millennium Rod, Marik was able to control the minds of multiple individuals at once, including some of Yugi's friends and the members of the Rare Hunters, to help him achieve his goals. Terrifyingly, Marik wasn't just able to control people's minds, but could also speak through them and control their bodies like puppets.
2 Prince Demande And His Third Eye That Can Hypnotize People (Sailor Moon)
Leader of the Black Moon Clan, Prince Demande was one of many powerful enemies the Sailor Guardians have faced and one that was bent on rewriting history with the power of the Black Crystal. On top of his plans to mess with time, in both versions of the anime his secondary goal was to claim Sailor Moon herself as his bride.
Demande's "Evil Sight" turns the dark moon symbol on his forehead into a third eye that can immobilize or hypnotize anyone he chooses. He almost succeeded in hypnotizing Usagi into loving him, but ironically, he was actually under the control of another individual known as Wiseman.
1 Lelouch Vi Britannia And "The Power Of Absolute Obedience" (Code Geass)
After meeting the mysterious C.C., Lelouch was granted a Geass power of his own, "The Power of Absolute Obedience". This power does exactly what it sounds like: puts anyone who makes eye contact with Lelouch into a trance and compels them to carry out any command that Lelouch gives them.
While Lelouch's Geass does have its limits - as it has a range limit, can only be used once for each individual, and the command has to be said verbally - it's potent enough to entrance multiple people at once and last until the command is fully achieved. Lelouch's plans for Britannia wouldn't have gotten nearly as far without the power of his Geass.